A response of reproductivity of crossbred rabbits to dietary crude protein levels from concentrate and water spinach leaves in the Mekong delta of Vietnam
Twenty five rabbit does were arranged in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 5 replications to evaluate the reproductive performance of crossbred rabbits (New Zealand x Local rabbits) fed 5 levels of crude protein (CP) including 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38 g CP/doe/day corresponding to the CP30, CP32, CP34, CP36 and CP38 treatments. The crude protein supplementation in diets was from water spinach leaves and concentrate with Para grass (Brachiaria mutica) as a basal diet. The experiment was carried out at the experimental farm of Can Tho University from May to Sep, 2017.
The results showed that litter size at birth, weight of litter at birth, number of rabbit at weaning, weight of rabbit at weaning in litter1 enhanced with increasing of CP in the diets, the higher values were found for the treatments of 36 and 38 g CP/doe/day (P>0.05). The growth rate of pregnant doe and milk production (g/doe/day) of experimental rabbits increased with increasing of CP levels in the diets and the values were higher for the treatments of 36 and 38 g CP/doe/day (P<0.05). In litter 2, the results showed that litter size at birth, weight of litter at birth, number of rabbit at weaning, weight of rabbit at weaning improved with increasing of CP levels in the diets (P<0.05). The milk production (g/doe/day) increased with increasing of CP levels in the diets (P<0.05), the higher values for the treatments of 36 and 38 g CP/doe/day. It was concluded that the higher reproductive performance of crossbred rabbits in two litters were found in the treatments of 36 and 38g CP/doe/day.
